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Davis' solid return good news for Royals

Wade Davis thrived as a Rays reliever in 2012 but should be back in the rotation for the Royals, where much depends on his Spring Training

By Dick Kaegel
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MLB.com |

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Royals received good news from right-hander Wade Davis on Wednesday.

Davis reported no more problems with his right shoulder after throwing four-plus innings in a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers.

"Nothing at all. It felt great," Davis said.

Davis had missed his scheduled third start due to shoulder soreness, then came back by pitching in a Minor League game. This was his first Cactus League outing since March 3.

"I thought it was OK," Davis said. "I got a little bit away from the attack mode there at the end and just lost a little bit of feel for the strike zone, but overall, I got my work done and that was really my biggest goal today -- get five up-and-downs, and we did."

Davis breezed through four innings, giving up one hit and two walks, but opened the fifth with two walks and a single to load the bases and his outing was ended at 64 pitches.

"He got a little fatigued out in there in the fifth inning, he got a little tired," manager Ned Yost said. "We wanted to take him to 65 pitches and we were right there, so I thought he did a great job. It was good for him to go out into that fifth and get that pitch count built up to where we needed it for his next time out."

Davis, though, denied he was tired.

"My release point got a little bit off, but that's something you can correct pretty quickly," he said.

Getting back into action against big league hitters took an adjustment.

"I had to slow myself down a little bit," Davis said. "I was a little jittery at the beginning and was a little jumpy in my delivery, but in the middle there, I really toned it down and made some good pitches."

And with no shoulder pain.

"If there was anything with the shoulder, we wouldn't have sent him out for the fifth inning," Yost said.

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.